1. Fields of the Invention
This invention is directed to a relay structure, more particularly to a relay structure having a generally L-shaped armature pivotally supported by a yoke.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In prior relays having an armature pivotally supported by a yoke, there have been a wide variety of improvements in simplifying a relay structure to effectuate a compact arrangement. One of the improvements is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, in which a generally L-shaped armature 4 formed of a tab 4a and an actuator arm 4b is pivotally supported at its corner on the free end of a generally L-shaped yoke 3. Attached onto and overlying the actuator arm 4b is a contactor blade 5 which carries at its one end a movable contact 6 at the same time biases the armature 4 in the direction of releasing the tab 4a from one end of a core 2 such that the armature 4 hinges about a hinge axis in the direction of engaging the movable contact 6 with one of cooperating fixed contacts 7 when a solenoid winding 1 about the core 2 is energized and conversely that the armature 4 hinges in the opposite direction to disengage the movable contact 6 from that fixed contact 7 when the coil 1 is deenergized. With this arrangement, the contactor blade 5 can also serve as a restoring spring to disengage the movable contact 6 from the fixed contact 7 when the coil 1 is deenergized, eliminating any additional spring means and thus enabling a simplified structure. However, in the above relay structure, the actuator arm 4b for actuating the contactor blade 5 is required by its structural limitation to be located above the horizontal member 3b of the yoke 3, and accordingly the actuator arm 4b will certainly be the cause of adding the thickness or the height to the overall relay assembly, failing to fully satisfy the requirement of reducing as much as possible the height of the relay assembly.